DNAngel goes D and D!
by lokinorsedeity
Summary: After the Black Wings was finally sealed, Dark and Krad thought that would be the end of it. They were wrong! Instead of resting forever within the mirror, they awaken to find themselves in a Dragon's Lair! What does fate have in store for them now?
1. After the Black Wings

**After the Black Wings**

**"I'm soooo bored!!!!!!" **whined Dark

"Quit your bellyaching! It's not like we have anything to do now that we're one again!" retorted Krad irritably.

**"I know that! It's just that the rest of time is going to be boring! Can't you think of ANYTHING to do?!"**

"It's called puzzles; they can take forever to finish, but it's better than nothing."

**"Works for me. Mind if I join you?"**

"I wouldn't have mentioned it if I did! We can either put puzzles together or ask riddles; your choice."

**"Puzzle or riddle; why not?"**

* * *

Krad and Dark may not have gotten along before, but when they're faced with a mutual problem…even they can get along! It took them years to notice the light shining from the outside world.

"What the…?! Hey Krad, do you see…?"

"Where's the light coming from?!"

"I don't know…but I intend to find out!" said Dark as he (floated?!) towards it.

"Um…I think you'll want to see this; otherwise you won't believe it!"

"What?"

"Take a look. We're not in the ruins of the museum anymore. You gotta see this!"

"What are you… what the hell?! Where are we?!" exclaimed Krad.

Outside the mirror, there were literally mountains of treasure! It wasn't until they heard the loud throaty purring that they took another look. What they saw next was beyond belief…it was a _DRAGON._

"No way! I thought they were supposed to be legendary monsters!" said Dark in surprise. His voice seemed to have an effect on the creature. One moment it was sleeping, the next they were staring at eye-to-eye!

XxXxX

**DRAGON'S POV…**

_It could hear voices coming from inside its lair. All it could think was… 'Oh, joy…more of those damn adventures after my treasure!'_

It opened a lazy eye to survey the lair…nothing seemed out of place; even the strange mirror it had acquired a few months before was there. It tested the air around it; then looked around as it got up. That's when it finally noticed that the mirror was acting strangely! It was puzzled as it realized that was where the voices were coming from! It walked over to the mirror and was somewhat caught off guard as it found itself looking at two (humans?) inside the mirror itself. The surprise was mutual as they looked at it in shock.

**"**_**Interesting… I didn't know that the mirror captured foolish adventurers…"** _chuckled the dragon.

"Um…we're not adventurers. We came with the mirror. Where are we anyway?" asked the dark-haired boy.

**"_If you came with the mirror, then why have you not shown yourself before now? And as for where you are… in my lair!"_**

"If you want to know why we didn't show ourselves before, it's because it took us a while to notice a change of scenery," said the blond dryly.

**"_Who are you two? You better give me an answer…"_**

"A good answer later is better than a hasty one made in fear," retorted the blond.

**"_What…? That's the first time a human has used that one before…"_** said the dragon in amusement.

"Why should we answer right now anyway? It's not like we have anything better to do than talk to a dragon…" said the dark-haired boy in boredom.

**"_Give me your names then."_**

"Technically we're both called the Black Wings. Before it was finally sealed though, we were known as Dark and Krad," said the blond.

**"_Black Wings? I thought that was the mirror's name!"_**

"We said we came with it, didn't we? We're the soul of the mirror…or both of the halves anyway."

**"_You are starting to confuse me. I don't enjoy being confused…"_** said the dragon irritably with a growl.

"It looks like you have company…" said the dark-haired boy.

**"_Just tell me which is which and then I'll get back to you."_**

"I'm Dark and he's Krad. By the way, I think one of those guys is chanting something…" said Dark.

**"**_**Not for long he isn't!"** _roared the dragon before it used its deadly breath.

"Nice touch," said Krad.

* * *

Unfortunately the would-be adventurers survived; because the dragon used its breath attack, it was unable to use it again for a few moments. The one who chanted before tried again while the dragon recovered. Right as the spellcaster was about to throw his deadly blast, Krad and Dark figured they might as well help the beast.

Krad had enough magic to release his tirade of feathers; each could kill humans the moment they made contact! His appearance had an interesting effect. Not only did it kill several of the humans; it also gave the dragon time to use its breath again to finish them off. Those who survived retreated in fear. The dragon turned to the mirror and said, _**"How did you pull that off? I've never seen anything like it!"**_

"You're kidding. How old are you anyway? And when did you get this mirror?" asked Dark.

**"_The mirror has been here for nearly a hundred years. And I'm nearly 600 years…I think."_**

"You don't keep track, do you? Well if we were stuck in here for over a hundred years or so, that would make us…" started Dark.

"Roughly around the same age as you, I would think," finished Krad.

**"_You're bluffing."_**

"Nope… we were over 400 years when this was finally sealed; if a hundred has passed since then, we're almost your equal in age," said Krad.

**"_Impossible. No human can live over a 100!"_**

"We're not human! We're part of the Black Wings, which would mean we can't die from old age!" said Dark irritably.

**"_If what you say is true, then I suspect we'll have a good many years of things to discuss. But right now, I need to make sure those nuisances called humans are long since gone."_**

"We'll wait here then. It's not like we can ever leave the mirror…" said Krad.

The dragon left them alone for nearly six hours. Its survey of the surrounding landscape usually took a full day!

**

* * *

Dark and Krad's POV (while the dragon surveyed its territory)…**

"Well, what's your verdict? Do you think what it said was true?" said Dark.

"Probably… it would explain a lot."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean if what he said was true, then it took at least a hundred years for the mirror to be uncovered from that mound of dirt that encased us! But what I can't figure out is why a dragon even exists!"

"Yeah, really. Here I thought they were nothing but mythical monsters," said Dark.

"He didn't seem like a monster to me."

"Yeah…he actually seems like someone who'd be interesting to talk to!"

**XxXxX**

**"_So you thought I was a monster, eh?"_**

"ACK! How long have you…?"

**"_For the past five minutes. Were you speaking the truth about thinking I was a monster?"_**

"When we were free, your kind was nothing more than a myth! We had no idea that dragons actually existed," said Krad.

**"_And what do you think of us now?"_**

"I'd say that our boredom might finally come to an end! If we had noticed sooner, we would have come to chat a long time ago," said Dark.

**"_I am surprised that you haven't asked me my name yet."_**

"We thought we'd wait until you decided to give it to us," lied Krad.

"No we didn't. It just never occurred to us," retorted Dark.

**"_So it never occurred to either of you to ask? I would have been more than happy to tell you."_**

"Well…there is one thing I wanted to ask," said Krad cautiously.

**"_Go for it."_**

"What kind of dragon are you? And how many kinds are there?"

**"_I am a Brass Dragon of course! And as to how many varieties…we lost count a few millennia ago."_**

"A Brass Dragon?"

**"_You really don't know much about our kind, do you? Everyone knows that the most talkative of the draconic race is the Brass Dragons!" _**

"You're the first dragon we've ever met."

"How talkative are you…?" asked Krad, hoping the answer wouldn't make them regret showing themselves!

**"_Most beings would rather avoid us if possible."_**

"That bad huh?"

**"_At least now I have someone to talk to when I'm bored…"_**

"Likewise."

* * *

Over the next two hundred years, Dark and Krad actually enjoyed being around the dragon. They even picked up on their language; the dragon was happy to finally have someone who'd actually stick around to hear what it had to say! Their favorite pastime was giving riddles to one another. They spent most of their days doing just that for hours on end. If you didn't count the annoying adventurers who constantly sought the dragon's vast treasure!

During the years they spent with the Brass Dragon, they slowly started to change their original forms. At first, the changes were slight and not one of them noticed. Then Dark started to realize that he could see far better than he used to; his breathing had changed too! He turned to look at his opposite half; he had begun to change as well.

"Krad…is it me or are we turning into dragons ourselves?!" said Dark. Their dragon friend was out on his usual survey of his territory and wouldn't be back for another 20 hours.

"What're you blathering about now?" growled Krad irritated.

"I'm serious! Haven't you noticed the change in our sight and hearing?"

"Not really. I quit paying attention a long time ago."

"Well I haven't! I think we're turning into dragons too! Or have you quit paying attention to your wings as well?"

"I still pay attention to them…just not as much."

"How long has it been since you took a good look at them. I mean really take a good long look?!"

"About five years or so. I don't keep track anymore."

"Then look at them now and tell me if anything seems off about them," said Dark.

"Will you leave me alone for the rest of the day if I do?!"

"Probably."

"Then fine!" said Krad annoyed. He took a good long look at his white wings. At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Then he realized that the feathers had begun to change shape…almost as if they were turning into scales!

-------

"I don't see anything too odd."

"You know I can tell when you're lying! You finally see the change too! Our feathers are turning into scales!"

"So what's your point?! It's probably because we haven't flown in the open air in a while!"

"Or we're changing into dragons. Think about it…why would our wings start to change now? They've never done this before!"

"So what?"

"So, I think we're being affected by our friend's natural magic. This might actually get us out of the mirror!"

"Since I did what you asked, you should hold up your end of the bargain and shut up for once. Don't bug me until he gets back, got it?!"

"But…!"

"LEAVE ME BE!!!!!"

Dark did as he asked and didn't bother him for the rest of the day. He spent the time in silence, thinking of what this could mean. If they were indeed being affected by the Brass dragon's magic, then there might be a chance to finally be free of the Black Wings! But what could they do once they were free? Their friend didn't like other dragons in his territory…he probably wouldn't recognize them!

He couldn't stop thinking of what to do. Their friend had returned hours ago; but wasn't in the mood to chat…for once. As he thought things over, he came to a single conclusion. If they were freed…they'd have to find somewhere to hide the mirror. It was all too likely that if the mirror were destroyed, then so were they!

Dark didn't know what to do. If things were as he feared, then they were doomed! He sighed and then thought of his days as the infamous Phantom Thief. As his eyes started to glaze over, he noticed something strange. It was a light…it almost appeared to lead to the outside world, yet he didn't recognize the surroundings at all! He went towards it; that was when he realized something else.

_He was staring into the past!_


	2. A window to the past

**A window to the past**

It was a window to his days with his last Tamer, Daisuke Niwa! He could see everyone; Daisuke, his mother Emiko, his friends Takeshi and Satoshi, everyone he knew was there. He was shocked; what was going on here?! He continued to watch the memories as they went by; the more he watched, the stronger the images became. It took a few weeks before Krad finally realized something was up with Dark. He had to actually look for his opposite half; he found him nearly two days later.

**"DARK!!! What are you doing?!"** roared Krad annoyed.

"I told you we were turning into dragons. And you just proved it…" said Dark, uninterested.

**"You haven't answered my question! What are you doing?"**

"I'm watching."

**"Watching _WHAT_ exactly?!"**

"The past. And before you ask something stupid, I am not crazy; I found something that replays the past!"

**"You're bluffing. The only window in here is the one we use to talk to…"**

"You don't believe me; then come see for yourself! I'll set the time frame to the moments before the Black Wings was originally split into us," said Dark.

Sure enough, Krad watched as the Niwa clan interrupted the ceremony and they were cursed with their old selves. His eyes widened and he turned to Dark.

-----

"How is this possible?"

"I don't know… a few weeks ago I started to reminisce about my life as a Phantom Thief and then I discovered this. At first, the longer I watched the stronger the images became until finally I could see as clearly as if I was actually there."

"I don't know how or why this is here, but you need to return to the present! Our friend has started wondering where you are!"

"Tell him that I found something that caught my interest. I won't leave until I find out why this window exists…which could take a while."

"Are you sure he'll buy that?"

"In case you haven't noticed, sometimes he goes adventuring with the humans and doesn't return for decades. By the time his interest in questing comes back, the humans are either dead or too old. He'll understand."

"Fine…I'll tell him that I'll join you in that."

* * *

**"_So you two found something that has caught your interest? How long until you feel like talking again?"_**

"He said it could take a while. It'll probably be quite a few years."

**"_Huh…in that case, I think I'll leave you two be. I was thinking of joining some adventurers for a while anyway. Do you think you'll be ready to talk when I get back?"_**

"I don't know. But I think we might be ready to talk again by then."

**"_I'll see you two in a few decades or so then. I'll make sure no one comes in to disturb you while I'm gone."_**

"Thanks…and good luck on your adventure!"

The Brass Dragon left the lair and completely blocked the entrances so no one, not even another Dragon, could get in except him. After they were covered, he cast a spell so that in case someone did manage to get in, they would either die on the spot or be put into a very deep sleep. He flew off to meet up with his traveling companions an hour later.

* * *

"He's gone off on another quest with the humans and locked us in here by ourselves. What're you doing now?"

"I'm gonna try something. I've never tried to touch the window itself, except to go past a part I don't want to watch."

"Why are you doing that? What's the point?"

"I want to see if we can be taken to THAT particular point in time to see it firsthand. Or if it'll take me there to actually interact with the past."

"Are you insane?! If you interfere with the past, you could very easily destroy our future! Are you willing to risk everything on a whim?!"

"Yes," said Dark bluntly.

"You can't do this!"

"What if nothing happens?"

"Then we'll just watch the timeline like we have been doing for a while now."

"Fair enough."

* * *

As Dark leaned forward to touch the window itself, something strange began to happen. His wings melded into scales and his hair flattened onto him. His eyes became slits, his arms long powerful limbs that ended in sharp claws, his teeth were longer and definitely sharper, and he grew a long reptilian tail. He became…a Dragon!

"Dark…"

**"What? Woah…what's with my voice?!"**

"You just turned into a dragon."

**"WHAT!"**

"Scales, teeth, claws, the whole thing!"

**"What color?"**

"I think you're purple…but your scales make me think you're a Silver."

**"They're reflective? So that would mean my scales are amethysts. What about the eyes?"**

"Same as they were before, only now they're slit like a cat."

**"Woah… I wonder what kind of dragon you'll turn into."**

"I don't know and I don't care. What are we gonna tell him when he gets back?!"

**"I don't know. I'll return soon enough though,"** said Dark.

As Dark touched the window, his body was thrown into the past itself. He chose a point in time at random, and was then sent there. He was surprised by the fact that no one seemed to see him at all! He walked among the past, and (much to his amusement) had all the mortal things walk right through him and not feel a thing! When the event was over, he was sent back to the past windows. He again chose a point in time, and was sent there. This time however, there was a different result!

* * *

He was in his own past, or what used to be his past as a Phantom Thief! He flew around, beating his powerful new wings. He thought he'd amuse himself by flying beside who he used to be. Too bad there was a catch!

**"What the…! Hey Daiki, do you see that?"**

_See what Dark?_

**"You don't see that thing flying beside us?!"**

_You're imagining things. There's nothing next to us except the artwork!_

**"I'm telling ya, there is SOMETHING flying beside me! It almost looks like…a dragon!"**

_That's it, I'm taking over now. You've obviously lost your mind._

**"_I don't believe this. My former self can see me but the Tamer can't?!"_**

Daiki Niwa switched with Dark, who was still shaken from the encounter. Wiz, who was acting as Dark's wings at the time, sat on his head. The dragon form of Dark had an idea which would help prove his old form wasn't as crazy as Daiki believed.

_**If Daiki doesn't believe Dark, then I'll have to prove him wrong! But how…? Wait…I got it! WITH, COME HERE!!!**_

"_Kyu…!"_ cried Wiz as he jumped off Daiki and onto Dark's back. When this happened, Daiki could finally see that Dark wasn't joking about there being a dragon flying beside him!

"I don't believe it… there really was a dragon flying beside us!" said Daiki in disbelief.

**I told you! What I don't get is why it's flying next to us.**

_**Maybe because I felt like it?**_

**Wait…you can hear my thoughts?!**

_**Why shouldn't I? I am you after all. Just in dragon form. Don't ask.**_

**Why couldn't Daiki see you earlier?  
_Probably because I'm not in sync with the timeline. The only reason he can even see me at all is because With is acting as my wings. When he gets off, only you can see me._**

"Dark, can you understand what that thing is saying?" asked Daiki.

**Yeah… for some reason I'm in sync with him.**

"I wonder why?"

**He said he was ME only in dragon form.**

"How do we know he's telling the truth?"

_**What is the date?**_

**It's Friday, April 19. Why?  
_The piece you're carrying is the sealing staffs created by the Hikari, which happens to be older than the Black Wings. Oh, and you're still in love with Rika Harada._**

**WHAT THE…! Daiki, I think he's telling the truth!**

"How can you be sure? What did he say?"

**He knew about the staffs being older than I am! And he knows about Rika!**

"What! But how…?!"

**"_I AM YOU! GET THAT THROUGH YOUR HEAD!"_**

**I think he's starting to get annoyed.**

_**That is an understatement! With, go back to Daiki now. You'll understand how I… correction, we become a dragon eventually. But it won't be until you are whole again and the Black Wings are sealed. That is all I can tell you.**_

Dark (dragon) returned again to the windows; he was about to pick another point in time from his past when something caught his attention. There was another dragon in there with him! It was gold and white with amber eyes. He knew immediately who it was.

**

* * *

"Yo Krad! What took ya so long?!"**

"Shut up. I only came in here because you've been gone for over two weeks! And I just got here around the same time you reappeared."

**"Why hasn't your voice changed?"**

**"It did change. I just toned it down so I could hear myself think."**

**"So what do we do now? I think the window is used to return to past events. Though I should warn you…if you encounter your past self, don't be surprised if he can sense or see you and the Tamer can't."**

**"Good to know. Wait…you mean to tell me you interfered with the past?!"**

**"No…I just made the past go the exact way it did before. I just forgot that I met myself as a dragon."**

**"So what're we gonna do now? We can't just jump into the past and not expect there to be consequences!"**

**"You toned your voice down again."**

"You should try it! It's better than having to hear the echoes from the booming voice!"

**"Fine…** there's something I just now noticed. I saw a few windows to the past that didn't happen to us in our lives. You don't think this goes _all_ the way back, do you?!"

"Wouldn't surprise me. We are talking about magic after all. Maybe it just goes back until the point when the first dragon appeared."

"Should we go there?"

"Yes. I have a feeling that was when we're meant to go in the beginning."

"The problem is finding it."

* * *

They looked and looked for the very first dragon in vain; it was so far back that they didn't have any idea what it looked like. Finally, Dark admitted defeat.

"Wait…maybe we're searching the wrong way," said Krad.

"What do you mean?"

"We're looking at the windows in the wrong order. Let's try to sort them out and put them from the oldest until we get to the point where we were created."

"How the hell are we…?"

Krad didn't answer; he concentrated on putting the windows in the correct order. It took a split second before they were sorted. There was only one window that was beginning to deteriorate. It was at the very end; there was only one thing it could be!

"So that's the first dragon. Wait…am I seeing things or that a…?!" said Dark in disbelief.

"I think it's a…female?! No way!"

"Okay, so who gets to go back to that point?"

"You! Did you really have to ask!?"

"I say we both go. Whoever isn't chosen comes back here. Agreed?"

"I hope you're chosen and not me! Knowing you, if I were chosen you'd come back here and laugh yourself to death!"

"How'd ya know?" said Dark with a wide toothy grin.

"Because you're an egotistical jerk."

* * *

Both Krad and Dark traveled to when the first dragon was created. At first nothing seemed too terrible. Though they both noted that there wasn't a single male dragon anywhere near her, even though she was clearly old enough to mate.

**I don't get it. Why aren't there any other dragons around?**

Maybe because the others were killed off before they had a chance?

**But if that were true, then how did the dragon race survive?**

Because she obviously found a mate, moron. Though I have no idea where.

_**I can hear you two talking over there. Who are you and what do you want?!  
**_I told you that you should have kept your voice toned down!

**Shut up.**

_**I'M WAITING FOR AN ANSWER OVER HERE!!!!  
**_That's odd.

**She's a tad impatient. I wonder why?**

Beats me.

_**If you two don't answer my question then you're both dead!!!!!**_

**My name is Dark and my friend here is Krad. What's yours?**

_**None of your business.**_

**Nice to meet you, 'none of your business'.**

I'd be more than happy to hit him for you.

_**If you'd be so kind.**_

**OWWWW!!!! What'd ya do that for jerk?!  
**Because that response was idiotic and it amused me.

**Why you!!!!**

**_So why are you two here? What happened to the others?  
_Others? What others?**

_**The ones behind me.**_

**We didn't see anyone except you around. Are you sure that they were behind you?**

_**They were until I exited the water. I thought they were still there…**_

**Apparently they didn't adapt quickly enough.**

(This little conversation went on for days, so I'll just skip to the main part.)

In the end, the dragoness had to choose between Krad and Dark. She chose Dark because he wasn't as shy as Krad. Krad was stronger, but Dark was cleverer. Krad went back and waited for Dark to return. Which took roughly around 12 years.


	3. Is the Dragon within taking over?

**Is the dragon within taking over?**

"WHAT TOOK YOU SO DAMN LONG?!" roared Krad irritably.

**"Sorry…I would have returned sooner but…for some reason I couldn't!"**

"What is THAT supposed to mean?!"

**"I can't explain it. I never have this problem before,"** said Dark confused.

"Wait…who was your last Tamer?" said Krad suddenly.

**"What's a Tamer?"**

"This isn't good…you're starting to become an actual dragon! You don't remember your name do you?!"

**"It's Dark…isn't it?"**

"Your real name!"

**"I…I can't remember!"** stammered Dark.

"This is bad…you're losing your memory of who you once were!"

**"Who I…what?!"**

"You…stay here. I'll be right back. AND DON'T GO THROUGH ANY WINDOWS!!!!!"

**"Fine…Sheesh! You didn't have to shout!"**

_

* * *

I can't believe I'm actually doing this…_

* * *

"Satoshi-sama, can you hear me?"

"_KRAD! How did you get through the seal?!"_

"I don't have time to explain! I need your help!"

"_WHAT?! Why would I help you?!"_

"Because if you don't, Dark will disappear forever. You do realize what that would mean, don't you?"

"_It means I won't have to deal with you anymore."_

"No…it means that half of the Black Wings will vanish! The mirror would become unstable and the seal would break! Do you REALLY want me back to sharing the same body?!"

"_Hell no. So if I help you now, I can keep my own body? And you won't come back to take over?"_

"I have my own body now. So will you help or not?"

"_Count me in. So when are you coming for me?"_

"Tomorrow. There's an annoying delay in the time windows so I can't come immediately."

"_Time Windows?"_

"And there is one small problem with using them… you probably won't be able to see or even sense my presence."

"_Why not?"_

"This body isn't in sync with the timeline. Though it may help to be in front of the Black Wings… My old form CAN see me if you can't."

"_What's wrong with your voice? It sounds like you're growling or something."_

"Ah…about that. Let's just say you won't recognize me when I come and leave it at that. Though it might help to warn you now that I'm clad in gold and white."

"_Why do I have a bad feeling about this…?"_

XxXxX

"All right Krad, I'm in front of the damn mirror. Now what?!" grumbled Satoshi. (No response from the mirror or Krad.)

"KRAD!!! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?! I'M WAITING HERE!"

**"_Which is the better answer? A good one today or the perfect one tomorrow?"_**

"A good answer today is better than the perfect answer tomorrow."

**"_What's your hurry?"_**

"I'm waiting in front of the damn thing. Now where the hell are you?!"

_**I'm standing behind you. I did say that you probably WON'T be able to see me.** _

_Where are you?!_

_**I'm behind you. Want a better clue?**_

_If you would be so kind!!!_

_**This might hurt…but don't say I didn't warn you!**_

_OW!!!! What the hell was that?!_

_**I told you it would hurt. That, Hikari, was my hand…**_

_Your WHAT!_

_**Hand… need another hint?**_

_So long as it doesn't involve me suffering from pain, yes!!!!  
__**Take a look at the ground to your right.**_

_I don't…what the…?! What is THAT?!  
__**My handprint. Or should I say claw print. Try looking behind you now.**_

_You've got to be joking… Please tell me that I'm hallucinating!_

_**What do you see?**_

_A freakin' dragon!_

_**In that case, I hate to break it to you, but you're NOT hallucinating. I told you last night that you wouldn't recognize me.**_

_How…why?!_

_**No time to explain. Get on!**_

_This is weird…_

* * *

Krad allowed Satoshi to climb onto his back. He backed up slightly before charging straight into the mirror! Satoshi instinctively braced for the inevitable impact; only to find that there wasn't one.

"You can open your eyes now. We're past the outside world."

"Krad…? Is that you?" said Satoshi looking around; he was still on a dragon's back.

Satoshi stayed perfectly still when the dragon's head turned to give him a look that said, "Who were you expecting?!"

"You do realize that I can see you even when you're standing still, don't you?" said the dragon amused.

"What happened to you?!"

"If you think this is strange, wait until you see Dark!" snorted Krad.

XxXxX

They approached another Dragon, this one was an amethyst in color. It looked up and said something Satoshi couldn't understand. It sounded mostly like growls from a cranky dragon.

"See why I needed your help, Satoshi? He's been like this for a month!"

"Wait…is that _Dark_?!"

"Unfortunately. I think he spent too long in the past acting as a dragon. He doesn't even remember his true name or what a Tamer is."

"But he does know his name is Dark, right?"

"That much he recalls. I've tried sending him to the past to see Daisuke, but it didn't work. Remember the day that Daisuke first called on his own wings? The second earthquake was this idiot landing the wrong way!"

"There wouldn't be an earthquake simply because he didn't land right."

"Correction, he landed in the wrong spot. The beach to be exact. All that sand got to him and he sneezed…a LOT."

"That I believe."

"Are you still willing to help, even if we are dragons?"

"Might as well. Do I get to insult him behind his back?"

"Maybe I should have said this earlier, but…_its open season for Phantom Dork insults!!!!_" snickered Krad.

"If you had told me that when you first contacted me, I'd have been here in a heartbeat! So what should I do?"

"Blast him with the Hikari magic. That might snap him out of this."

"Couldn't you do that yourself?!"

"I tried…at least thirteen times! But all he got was a reason to be ticked off at me."

"Why would your magic not work?"

"Maybe because I tried casting it in THIS form?! All I could shoot at him was _darastrix arcaniss_. Oh hell…now he's got me doing it too!"

* * *

"What's 'darastrix arcaniss'?"

"It means 'dragon magic' in draconic tongue. I can't believe he's gotten me talking like that too!"

"I thought it sounded familiar! It's been too long since I read the D and D manuals."

"Wait… you mean that they have a dictionary in those books?!"

"Do you even know what D and D stands for?"

"Not really… all I know is that they're hardback and very expensive to buy."

"D and D stands for 'Dungeons and Dragons'. Luckily for you I happen to bring one of the manuals to read in case I had to wait for hours."

"Which one?"

"The Draconomicon. It's the only one that talks about dragons only. Hang on and I'll see if he recognizes this word…"

"Can you speak Draconic?"

"I can try. Here it is! Thurirl… is that how you pronounce it?"

"You kinda garbled it a bit, but he'll understand what you're trying to say. I'm ready when you are."

-----

Satoshi began chanting as he drew out a white feather. It began to glow before he released the seal. Krad's eyes widened a bit when he realized the Hikari was trying to put a seal on Dark. Dark didn't stir at all.

"Wake him up and see if he remembers now."

Krad whapped Dark on the head hard with his tail which pissed him off but did the trick! Satoshi tried not to let the dragon Dark see him laughing.

"So do you remember what your true name is?" asked Satoshi.

**Thric.**

"He said…"

"I know what he said. It was 'no' right?"

Before he could answer, Dark growled annoyed. He said something which the Hikari looked up and realized that he might be in trouble.

**Pothoc munthrek!!!!**

"Satoshi…I think you should… Oh, you're already behind me," said Krad cautiously.

"I heard him say 'stupid human'…otherwise I wouldn't have hid behind you!"

"You're getting better at recognizing draconic."

"Shut up. It's your fault for dragging me into this!" grumbled Satoshi. He hid under Krad's wing and waited for another idea to come to him.

Dark growled in draconic; Satoshi didn't bother to find the translation. He had a feeling that the other was saying 'stand aside so I can kill that human'. Krad growled something in response and looked at Satoshi with concern.

"I'll try using something _other _than a sealing spell then!"

"If it doesn't work this time, I don't know how to calm him down!"

The Hikari tried one final time to use magic on the other dragon. This time he used a spell that would drain him of his energy; so much so that he wouldn't be able to move for an hour! It hit Dark dead on; the dragon's eyes widened slightly in shock as the spell ripped through his body! It buckled under the pain; then shot Krad a death glare. It stumbled while trying to get up; Satoshi said only two worlds before passing out.

"_Niwa…Daisuke!"_

XxXxX

The name had an unusual affect on the dragon. Its eyes glazed over then changed into their original shape. Its wings began to shrink and turn into black feathers, the teeth shortened, the tail slowly disappeared, and the body went from draconic to humanoid!

**"_What is your name? Who is your Tamer?"_** said Krad in his best dragon voice.

"My name…is Phantom Dark! And my Tamer was Daisuke!"

"I don't believe this… I can't believe it only took the name of your Tamer to snap you out of it!" griped Krad.

"Snap me out of what? Where are… Satoshi! What did you do to him?!"

"I asked him to help me bring you back. He'll be fine after he recovers from using too much of his magic."

"Krad?! Why are you in a dragon's body?!"

"What the…? You mean you've forgotten about what happened?!"

"I don't remember anything!"

"We both turned into dragons…only you were nearly taken over by your new form. I had to ask Hikari for help! You should be grateful!" griped Krad.

"Sorry I asked! So why are you still a dragon?"

"I haven't figured out the trigger to reverse it yet. It seems yours is the name of your final Tamer."

"I wonder if Satoshi Hiwatari…er, Hikari can reverse yours."

"I wasn't as attached to my Tamer, remember? I was known as the Homicidal Blond by my clan."

"Oh please, you're more like the_ Angel of Mercy._" Dark snorted. This did the trick! Where the white/gold dragon had stood, there was now one very pissed off Krad!

**"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO NEVER CALL ME THAT!!!!!!!!"**

"Well, well! It seems your trigger is being called the one name you absolutely hate!" Dark laughed.

"You are soooo gonna pay for that when this is over!!" growled Krad angrily.

"Why should I care? We found your trigger didn't we?"

"I'm gonna…!"

"Say…don't you think we should help Satoshi? After all, he was the one who found the trigger to turn me back!"

"You're right. Shall we heal him then?"

"It's only fair…" said Dark.

* * *

"Ugh…what happened?" groaned Satoshi five minutes later.

"Welcome back, Commander Hiwatari," joked Dark.

"I'm back to Hikari now… Wait…! You're…!"

"Yup…I'm back to being my old self; same for Krad too!"

"But how…? The spell had no effect on you!"

"Actually, it did. But what you said _before_ you passed out snapped him out of it."

"What…?"

"You called out to Daisuke… the name somehow triggered my memory and turned me back."

"And what about Krad? I doubt my name would make him revert to his usual annoying self."

"Funny thing…your name didn't trigger his memory but calling him…"

**"DON'T EVEN THINK OF REPEATING THAT DAMN NICKNAME OF YOURS!!!!"**

"_The Angel of Mercy._ That was his trigger."

"The Angel of WHAT?!"

"Mercy… you of all people should know how much I hate that name!" growled Krad.

"You're going to kill him when I leave, aren't you."

"Try 'beyond' killing his sorry ass!"

"Can you do me a favor then? Kill him _now_!! This is something I gotta see!" laughed Satoshi.

"In that case…YOU ARE SOOOO DEAD DARK!!!!!" roared Krad as he lunged at Dark; he narrowly avoided his other half! While Satoshi lay there laughing as Krad tried to beat the hell out of Dark, he passed out yet again from lack of oxygen. Krad stopped long enough to return Satoshi to the human world. Then he went back to beating the hell out of his other half!

After Dark recovered, he started to miss the past. He went back to the point where he left the window and acted as though he never left; Krad realized where he went and followed him. He had a hard time finding him; Dark was going by a completely different name than before! He was now known by a name that all Dragons know and revere...Io.


	4. Rebirth of the Black Wings

**Rebirth of the Black Wings**

"I don't believe this… You're going by the name of the god who created Dragons?!" said Krad in disbelief.

"Hush down! It wasn't MY idea! It was the first thing I could come up with when the humans wanted my name!"

"You couldn't think of anything OTHER than Io, the creator of Dragonkind?!"

"Do you have _any_ idea how much power a name has in this world? If I had given them my true name or my alias, they could easily gain control over me! Besides, if you think about it, I technically am the creator of Dragons. And I do have a neutral outlook."

"Neutral outlook, my ass. You're more like Neutral Good and you know it!"

"Whereas you're more Neutral evil than Chaotic Neutral," snorted Dark.

"You can't go around calling yourself Io if you're not _completely_ Neutral you idiot! If you continue then someone will realize the truth and you'll be screwed!"

"Well if you had to compare yourself to one of the Draconic Deities, who would it be?" said Dark, trying to change the subject.

"I'd either be Falazure or Chronepsis. And don't laugh at the latter! I'm more of a 'Watcher' than a 'death and decay' dragon and you know it!"

"True…I'd say you fit more under the category of Chronepsis than Falazure though… even if you are more Neutral evil than Neutral," admitted Dark.

"So why did you ask that anyway?"

"If you're confronted by a mortal and they want to know your name, tell them you're called Chronepsis, not Krad. If they get ahold of your alias, well…let's say that the result won't be pretty. I saw this Silver dragon get turned into… (shudder) a Dracolich after this Clerk got ahold of it's true name…or the shortened version of it."

"You're kidding! How could a mortal turn a Silver Dragon into a Dracolich?! It's impossible!" said Krad in disbelief.

"I know…that's what I said when I first heard it! Then they took me to see this Dracolich and it really _was_ a Silver Dragon!"

"And it was done by a Clerk who learned the shortened version of the Dragon's true name?"

"That's what it told me when I asked. Now do you see why I took up the name Io?"

"But why Io? Why not Aasterinian?"

"I would have used that except for one little technicality. Aasterinian is a female, idiot!"

"I forgot."

"So what name will you give the mortals?"

"Chronepsis of course. There's no way I'd go by the name of the Night Dragon deity…even if I _do _share the same alignment."

"Speaking of mortals…here comes one now."

* * *

"Excuse me, Io…I was wondering if you could answer a few of my questions concerning you and your kin."

**"_Do I look like Hlal to you? What questions could you possibly have?"_** said Dark using his fearsome draconic voice.

"I just want to know why Wyrms eat their own hoards before they go to die."

**"_The reason they eat their hoards is so that they can depart into the next realm or become guardians of their domain. The only ones who DON'T eat their hoards are the Dracolich."_**

"You mean that's the reason they waste all that treasure?!"

**"_You mortals might consider it wasteful, but we do not. If we don't consume our hoards before we depart, we can't pass on. It's as simple as that!"_** said Dark irritably. The mortal who had come to bother him caught the hint of impatience and quickly made his escape.

"You know, sometimes I wish I had taken up the name of an eviler draconic deity!" said Dark annoyed.

"You know, perhaps I _should _go by the name Falazure. At least then I could bite the head off of the idiots who come asking dumb questions!"

"Well…since you technically _haven't_ told the mortals what to call you, you could probably get away with it."

"Guess again. Falazure is a _Black _dragon…though some say he's a Dracolich."

"Oh yeah…I can't believe I forgot about that."

"Oh well…not like it really matters. The only ones who actually know any of that are their followers."

"True… So now what are we supposed to do?" asked Dark.

"Why not allow fate decide for once?"

"I think it already has," commented Dark.

"What do you mean?"

"I think we're supposed to be two of the Dragon Gods. Whichever name we go by is the one we have to be. Since I've already chosen to be Io, you have to decide whether you want to be Chronepsis or Falazure."

"Wait…are you suggesting that we…?"

"Yup…I think we have to live our lives as Dragons."

"And what happens when our original pasts catch up to us? What do we do when the Black Wings are finally born?"

"We wait until its part in history is completed and then steal it. I suspect that if it's destroyed, we're seriously screwed!"

"So what do you suggest we do? I seriously doubt that another dragon would steal the mirror from our friend."

"Maybe not a second dragon…but what if there were still Hikari and Niwa around? What if we spread a rumor that our friend was attempting to set us free? Wouldn't that be an incentive for the family of thieves to retake the mirror for us?"

"You'd be willing to kill our dragon friend just to get the damn mirror?! There has to be another way!" protested Krad.

"The only other way we can insure the Black Wing's safety is to have one of us die and be reborn with the mirror itself inside us."

"WHAT! You know as well as I do that if one of us dies the other does too!"

"I don't see you coming up with a better solution," Dark retorted.

"While I don't like either of our choices…we might as well try the latter."

"There's only one way we'll be able to pull this off."

"And what's that?"

"We have to be present when the ceremony was first interrupted and when it was finally sealed. While those points in time are played out, we each have to fatally injure the other. Right as our lifespan is cut off, the mirror's life will be forced to transfer half of its life power to us in order to sustain itself."

"You have a point. If we die when it's created and sealed, then the magic used would have to be sent to us in order to preserve its existence in history. If it doesn't, then history's flow will be irreparably damaged forever."

"However, there is a slight catch."

"I had a feeling there would be."

"There's a slim chance that the mirror won't transfer its life force to save us; if it doesn't, then we can't be reborn and we die."

"Is there any way to reduce that chance so that we won't have to worry?"

"We'd have to return to our true forms when we kill each other. Then it would have to whether it wants to or not."

"Then what are we waiting for? I'm sure we'll shock Daisuke Niwa with this stunt!" said Krad as he activated Dark's trigger to return him to his original form.

"And I'm sure Satoshi will think you're the Angel of Mercy when we're done!" laughed Dark as he activated Krad's trigger.

It took them an hour to figure out how they were going to be in two places at once. By the time they finished the risky ceremony, both 'angels' were nearing the end of their life…the mirror sensed this and in order to save itself, gave half of its true power to both, sustaining their lives and making it impossible to destroy them completely. The Black Wings were now inside them, so their worry of dying along with the mirror was finally put to rest.

After they finished their ceremony, they had to choose whether or not to remain in the past. In the end, they stayed and became Io and Chronepsis, the two neutral deities in D and D. Whenever Dark returned to his original form, he went by Drake, the Dragon King. He lived in his own lair, a day's ride from Krad. He assisted travelers on occasion…but he gained a reputation as a result; he was now known as a dragon-master who would sometimes grab wary travelers without warning!

* * *

Every time a wandering mortal walked by the mountain which he resided in, they were almost always on alert for anything out of the ordinary…though he still caught them unawares. It was during one of his little trips that he met…her. To the casual glance, she was like another other maiden. But to his inherent eyes that could see past most illusions, he could tell there was something very different about her; she held a slight draconic aura. However, the girl did NOT possess dragon's blood, or any draconic descent. (Though he did detect a mild amount of Elven aura.) He slowly approached her campfire, and almost immediately collided with a barrier…a barrier made completely out of draconic magic! He faltered for a moment, then regained his footing; the girl chuckled a bit as she said, "And here I thought they were joking when they said there was something that takes unwary travelers in the night."

"You should have heeded their warning not to wander through this area…" retorted Dark coolly.

"I would allow you to pass, but past experiences have taught me otherwise," said the girl, looking directly at him.

"Why do you possess a draconic aura if you have no dragon's blood in you?" wondered Dark aloud.

"Well its not the barrier's doing, if that's what you're implying!" griped the girl.

"Mind if I join you? I give you my word that no harm will befall you," said Dark.

"How can I trust your word?"

"A good answer today is better than the perfect answer tomorrow."

"What's your hurry?" asked the girl, amused at his obvious knowledge of the usual answer made by mortals.

"You have knowledge of the dragons…" said Dark, surprised.

"Dragons are almost immortal…they have all the time in the world, so they often don't see any real reason for urgency like mortals."

"What is your name, girl?" asked Dark.

"I've long since forgotten what my birth name is…but most people simply call me Darastrix Arcaniss."

"Your name is 'Dragon Magic'?" said Dark, dubious. (He was impressed that she pronounced the words perfectly.)

"Everyone usually just calls me Dara for short. And the only reason they call me Dragon Magic is because I can only _use _Dragon Magic. It's too hard for me to use anything else."

"That explains the barrier…" muttered Dark.

* * *

He left 'Dara' alone as he headed back towards his lair, unaware of the bandits that lurked nearby. About three-quarters of the way there, he returns to his draconic form and decides to take a little nap.

He stirs only when he hears several snaps/cracks from the forest. He turns his head to see Dara running for her life away from the rogues. He makes a decision—either help her or leave her to her doom.

**"_Who dares enter my domain?"_** said Io in his best dragon voice. The rogues stop short, but Dara continues running, albeit this time _towards _him. This takes him somewhat aback…he expected her to stop like the rogues, not continue towards him! This mildly annoys and puzzles him.

Dara approaches, out-of-breath; the look in her eyes takes Io even more aback. She held a look of true respect for dragons…which very few mortals ever show. He looks at her strangely before turning his attention to the rogues.

**"_Who are you and why have you entered my domain?"_**

"We…we have no quarrel with you, o Great one! We merely seek the woman who ran by…" stammered the first.

**"**_**The woman is not of your concern! Leave my lands at once before I turn you thieves into my next meal!"** _roared Io.

"Yes, O Great Wyrm!" said the 'leader'. The rogues fled in terror; Io turned towards Dara and said (in a normal tone), "Why did you run towards me and not away?"

-----

"I trust you and your kin more than I do mortals," said Dara simply.

Io chuckles a bit at that, "Well, little mortal, you have definitely earned my interest. You are welcome to enter my lair…"

"Thank you, great Wyrm…" said Dara, with a look of gratitude.

"You may refer to me as Io, child," snorted Io, amused.

"Thank you, Io-sama…" repeated Dara.


End file.
